Typhoon Bebinca made landfall in China’s Shanghai on Monday morning. It has been declared a Category 1 storm, thus making it the most powerful tropical cyclone to date in more than seven decades to directly hit the Chinese financial hub. Bebinca striked the city in which around 25 million people live at about 7:30 am local time (2330 GMT) with a wind speed of 151 kph, as per state media reports. This typhoon has been termed the strongest storm to affect Shanghai after Typhoon Gloria in 1949.
The reason why Shanghai was spared from the direct impacts of typhoons was because they usually made landfall on the further southern side of China. Typhoon Yagi which was categorized as a Category 4 storm went through southern Hainan province last week, unlike Bebinca’s travel path which has directly struck Shanghai.
Transportation and tourism halted
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled because of the storm from the city’s two airports since Sunday night. On the other hand, the railway station has also stopped several rail services. Popular tourist attraction spots like Jinjiang Amusement Park, Shanghai Disney Resort, and Shanghai Wild Animal Park have been temporarily closed for the time being. Currently, China is celebrating a three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday amidst the disruptions. As per the latest reports, many ferry services have also been stopped.
(With inputs from Reuters)